Atlas sighed, exasperated by the mental war ensuing inside him.
He shouldn't have gone away with the princess. He shouldn't have. He should've kept his post from the beginning... he should've at least put up a semblance of a fight and pretended to want to stay amongst his troops.
Alas, here he was, running her a bath after hours of contorting her perfect body in all the most delicious positions he could think of, as per her explicit instructions.
This had been the cycle for months.
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As the Premier General to his High Emperor, Atlas's legacy was unmarred. Valiant, honorable--and ruthless, if need be--he always felt his purpose was to embody those characteristics on a soul level, pledging to a cause much bigger than himself: maintaining the dominion of his beloved ruler, serving the realm to his utmost ability, and protecting the peace of his treasured world.
As of late, however, he found himself taking pleasure in the most incredible sin he felt he could possibly commit against his Sovereign lord, short of regicide. He tried to make the guilt outweigh the lust coursing through his entire being, but the exhilaration of just thinking about his love's lush soft skin on his frame profoundly affected him. This was unfair... she had him in such a bind... this was not protocol. It was in no way appropriate. Yet, it was exactly what he hoped to happen. If he thought he could wield even just an ounce of supernatural power, he was sure he'd use it on willing this very path into existence. His war continued to rage tremendously within; he desperately wanted one side to win over the other... but he was not being honest with himself on which side he truly wished to have victory.
His concern was much deeper than mere physicality. She was the Heir High Princess, and he was her Protector. Very few, if any, would ever know her as he did--it was his duty to do so. They'd grown up very closely together; he lived in the same palace as the royal family, as his father was the High Chancellor and it was customary for the Emperor's cabinet and their families to live on the estate. Even in his youth, he showed impressive military prowess and understood the importance of facilitating the longevity of the Sovereign line. It was this very understanding that propelled his ascension to the highest military office at such a young age, and that convinced his emperor to entrust him with the responsibility of facilitating the Heir's safety. This trust solidified the strength of his bond to the princess, forging a connection that only grew fervently with time. He always tried to have an impartial understanding whenever she sought out his advice, as he was very adept at analyzing situations and finding inconsistencies. Where he lacked confidence, she always patiently guided him to acknowledging his power. She was vastly intelligent, stretching her imagination to depths wilder than he ever could fathom... and he adored her for it, always in reverence of the way she could bestow clarity on the most abstract of topics.
But this was a situation where he was blind and completely out of his depth, and she was of absolutely no help. Intimate access to her heavenly body blurred the lines of his usually sound judgment, and instead of conducting his trained duties as a decorated military officer he was placing an array of soothing salts in the steaming water to satisfy his princess's senses and beautifully satin skin. Submission to her came so naturally to him; no one else could even think of bringing him to his knees, yet she could make him crumble at her feet and he would happily let her literally walk all over him if she wanted to. Any request, no matter how inconsequential, he would fulfill it for her. She was his beloved Domina, his Light... whatever she wanted, he would provide.
He wasn't supposed to be here--he'd committed to another post for training new recruits, but she overrode his assignment with no real explanation other than his expertise was needed elsewhere. Because of his reputation, no one thought anything of an Imperial personally requesting him for detail. Many even encouraged him to place their monarchs' safety as his main focus, especially the safety of the Heir. They were in a time of great peace, and they looked to him to keep it that way. He was absolutely aware, though, that if his battalion found out he was being pulled from pertinent missions all to indulge in the silken depths of their princess, he'd have the most thorough hell to pay. His oath was to protect and defend above all else, but he couldn't stop himself from conceding to the one carnal desire he never thought he would experience--and he knew he would never have the words to justify his current actions.
This wasn't supposed to happen! She was, in his opinion, out of his reach... he was not of the stars in the way she was. As the physical embodiment of their Sun and by consequence one of the most venerated beings on their planet, she was a Celestial Solar Being--by all intents and purposes, her social equivalent was another Celestial Solar... possibly even a Primary Lunar could stand beside her as her humble consort and serve her with purpose. With billions of stars in their galaxy, there was no shortage of high-status suitors--especially given that she was the incarnation of the largest galactic Sun. Her energy was the most palpable out of all the planetary systems; she was a force to be reckoned with, a personified numen. He was born human... and albeit a very capable, accomplished one--a human nonetheless.
Celestials and humans did not partner with each other; it was unprecedented, unheard of. It was technically not impossible... but breaking precedent was not on the agenda of the Celestial Populace, and millennia-long propaganda permeated through both cultures. The "star people" were far less in number, but their abilities were superior--even the lesser moon and asteroid Celestials could wield more power than the vast majority of humans, and they were amongst the lowest tier in the star hierarchy. Sun people like her would never even be seen with a lesser Celestial... much less allow them to do the things he had done to her.
She had to have been going through a phase, he thought to himself. There was no way he could believe this was anything more than a way to exert her independence as the autonomous, dominant being that she was. But why him?! Why put him through such exquisite torture all for the sake of having her way? He truly yearned for her, and the thought of her writhing under another as she had done for him so many times caused his heart to ache fiercely.
If he could have anyone in this world, it would be her... all of her. Her love, her devotion, her precious hand in marriage--all the accolades bestowed upon him as General would pale in comparison to living quietly and peacefully as her ever-doting partner. He wanted to wake up to her every morning, giving her the most devout attention. He'd be the quintessential Stepford husband if it meant having her in his life... and if these past eleven months were any indication of how perfect life could be if they were together, he would give everything he possibly had to see it to fruition.
"My love, if I had known you were so tired, I would've run you a bath." His princess caressed his tensed back, running her delicate fingertips across the sinewy muscles in his shoulderblades. He hadn't even heard her come in to the room, his incessant thoughts dulling his perceptive senses to a degree that unnerved him.
He breathed in as her finger lightly traced the scar running from the left side of his neck to his thick forearm... the intimacy that she shared with him was a treasure he would do
anything
to keep hold of. In any other situation, he was a warrior. Hard pressed and unyielding, he was seen as a man with insurmountable strength. Some praised him as a god amongst men... but in the presence of this awe-inspiring deity, he was all too happy to be exactly anything and everything she wanted him to be.
Just a simple touch had his massive body bowing to her every command. She was so very much cherished by him... so soft, so small, and yet he often felt dwarfed and weakened by her sheer presence. He'd never felt so out of his element with any being as he had with her... she awakened things in him he'd never known existed. He'd never experienced a kiss so electrifying, so illuminating. Connecting to her just seemed so right, even in the very sudden moment it first happened. He couldn't control himself from that point forward; stolen passionate kisses grew quickly into many,
many
salacious romps that his mother would
surely
clutch her pearls if she even knew a piece of what he had done with and to their princess. And in each of those moments, he could recall his sheer helplessness under the siren call of her dripping, swollen lips. He dared not resist her temptation...
